title: Correlation between total blood lead values and peripheral blood counts in workers occupationally exposed to urban stressors.
abstract: The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between occupational exposure to airborne lead (Pb) and alterations in peripheral blood counts in workers of the Municipal Police assigned to different types of outdoor tasks. Then, 337 both male and female subjects were enrolled and divided on the basis of sex, cigarette smoking habit and kind of task. Exposure to airborne Pb, dosage of total blood Pb and peripheral blood count were carried out. A significant positive correlation was detected between the values of total blood Pb and values of plasma reticulocytes (%RET) both in the total sample and for all the classes of the subdivision except for police drivers. Some statistically significant correlations were present but discontinuous for other variables of peripheral blood counts. Results suggest that occupational exposure to low doses of airborne Pb is able to influence lines of the hematopoietic system in exposed workers, with special reference to %RET.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology, Legal Medicine and Orthopedics, Unit of Occupational Medicine, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Caciari
authors.forename: Teodorico
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Casale
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciarrocca
authors.forename: Assunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capozzella
authors.forename: Pier Agostino
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gioffrè
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corbosiero
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tomei
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scala
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andreozzi
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nardone
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tomei
authors.forename: Maria Valeria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Rosati
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D016495:Police
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D007854:Lead